1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automobile door handle, and particularly to an automobile door handle having a handle grip and a handle case.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as an automobile door handle having a handle grip and a handle case, the structure disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) No. 63-125669 has been known.
Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) No. 63-23448 discloses a grip-type handle in which a handle and a door lock releasing mechanism are connected by a rod. Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) No. 63-152868 discloses a grip-type handle having a lever which is rotatably supported by a base. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 7-331931 discloses a grip-type handle in which an engaging hole, with which a lever is engaged, is formed in a sliding portion of the handle.
The structure disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) No. 63-125669 will be described hereinafter.
As shown in FIG. 5, in an automobile door handle 70, one end portion 74A of a handle grip 74 is connected to one end portion 72A of a handle case 72 fixed to a side door 71 and the handle grip 74 is provided to be swingable, with respect to the handle case 72, around a portion at which the end portion 74A is connected to the end portion 72A in upward and downward directions on the paper of FIG. 5 (i.e., the directions indicated by double-headed arrow S). A lever 80 is rotatably supported by a pin 78 on a protruding arm 76 provided at another end 72B of the handle case 72. The lever 80 is engaged with a concave portion 84 which is formed at a vicinity of a tip end portion of a circular arc-shaped projecting member 82 provided in another end portion 74B of the handle grip 74. The circular arc-shaped projecting member 82 is provided to pass through a through hole 86 formed in the handle case 72. Accordingly, when the handle grip 74 swings and moves from the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 5 to that indicated by the two-dot chain line, the lever 80 engaged with the concave portion 84 of the circular arc-shaped projecting member 82 rotates so that locking of the side door 71 is released.
However, in this automobile door handle 70, when the handle grip 74 swings and moves to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, the lever 80 abuts against an outer peripheral edge of the through hole 86 of the handle case 72 to prevent the handle grip 74 to slip out of the through hole 86. For this reason, a great load is applied to the outer peripheral edge of the through hole 86. Accordingly, it is considered that the outer peripheral edge of the through hole 86 is reinforced by increasing the thickness M thereof. However, in this case, since the door handle 70 becomes larger, this method is not preferable.